Soon, a snowball, or should I say, gooey flour and water effect started…

That turned into complete pandemonium…

Left with a kitchen that had been invaded by little Master Chef monsters.

Lucky for me, my awesome husband came home to clean up the fiasco. Even luckier that I’m married to such a cute butt. It took him 2 hours of scrubbing and cleaning and he even had to buy a second mop head after the first one couldn’t take the grime no more.

I tried to convince him that it was all the twinlets’ cheeky doing. The naughty ones who were beyond control.

But I don’t think Mr Surfer believed me because I have to admit, it was so much fun 😉

Despite the tumultuous weather on Sunday, we decided to brave the dark clouds and head over to Manly.

It takes two ferry ride for us to get there.

The first saw lots of excitement and anticipation.

The second proved to be rather choppy and the crashing waves turned a tummy or two.

But it seemed that one twinlet is like me, and doesn’t mind a rocking boat so much.

While, the other is just like his dad…

Do you or your children get seasick?

P.S Don’t forget, if you live in or visiting Sydney, make the most of the Sydney Family Funday Sunday ticket. $2.50 for unlimited access on all public transport including ferries. Children under the age of 3 are free!

In my late 20’s, I picked up a little mantra that has remained embedded in my head:
“Don’t have expectations and you won’t be disappointed”

It has kept me on the straight and narrow in all sorts of sticky, undesireable situations.

Breaking up with douchebags, arguing with bosses, misunderstandings with friends.

As the twinlets’ 3rd birthday was approaching, I made the difficult decision that this year’s celebrations was going to have to be low-key.

I say that it was difficult because, well, as any mother, I wanted to create a special day of celebration for my children. To bake a decadent Rainbow Cake, make intricately animal shaped sandwiches and have colourful, bold, imaginative decorations.

But facing the facts and dealing with reality, I can barely get a pre-mix banana bread loaf out of an oven. Making origami paper cranes is as crafty as I get.

We had a pretty big gathering for the monumental 1st birthday. A beautiful park with fabulous friends. It was a wonderful and memorable day. But the entire time, a stressed out time bomb was ticking away inside me, constantly fretting that something was going to go wrong.

Will people find the park easily? Was it going to rain? Will the boys have a meltdown from missing out on their morning nap?

Of course the entire day went smoothly. And I was worrying over nothing. It was just the anxiety talking. But how could I control that?

Anyway, whether it was stress-related or just bad luck, the family all got a terrible bout of gastro straight after the festivities.

I desperately wanted to show my boys how much they mean to me with all the fancy displays of an extravagant party but I had to be completely truthful with myself and face the fact that, frankly, I really wasn’t up for it.

And that’s okay.

The truth was tough to swallow but it was time to own it.

So, yesterday, in welcoming their 3rd year in this crazy yet amazing world of ours, we spent it with my folks.

There was a shopping trip to Toys R Us in the morning. And even there, there opulence was uncomfortable. The twinlets already had every Thomas the Tank Engine train in the shop, what else did they need?

And that’s when they both picked up a massive Buzz Light Year with the bells and whistles instead.

Some lateral thinking avoided the dilemma of finding and ordering the perfect cake. (K-Bear still suffers from egg allergies and so our choices are always limited).

Luckily, my mum had already made an Indonesian jelly dessert. A childhood favourite. Adding some candles, it turned out to be the perfect option.

The boys didn’t know any different and we had to reenact the candle blowing at least 5 times because, let’s face it. That’s the best, most fun part for most 3 year olds.

Mr Surfer and I have agreed to have a small gathering in a few weeks and invite friends from daycare. But it definitely won’t be to the same extreme as that first party.

Those days of self-pressure are gone. But what we will lack in birthday brouhaha, the twins will gain in a happier, more present mama.

Joining in the gorgeous Essentially Jess for another fabulous round of IBOT

Then of course, I had to humbly eat my words. The crutches of survival barely supported by frequent hits of caffeine.

I’ll fondly remember when tandem breastfeeding made me feel like the invincible supermum. To have the three of us be so close to each other made my heart sing with delight.

But alongside, there were sleepless nights of tears, pain and desperate late phone calls to the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Confused and wracked with guilt, I panicked I could no longer offer you the nourishment you needed.

And here we are.

Once tiny premature babies slept quietly in incubators, while their parents patiently waited for them to get stronger to take them home.

Now growing into happy boys holding secret conversations with each other.

Sure, there are rare occasions when your tornado twin ways still make me want to sell you both on Gumtree.

But I won’t.

It becomes obselete with the unbroken adoration I have for you. The both of you.

Shaking in distress after her discovery in the bathroom, she woke her husband to let him know. There was substantial bleeding.

3 years ago today a heavily pregnant woman carrying twins was driven to the local hospital. Crying all the way, begging, pleading for her unborn babies to hang on, to stay safe until they could reach a doctor.

Arriving at the hospital, only to be told that she would yet need to be taken away by ambulance, but waiting for endless hours on a hospital bed until someone could cart her away.

3 years ago today, a distressed mother laid quietly in the rickety gurney as she was rolled into an ambulance. Comforted by a dutiful midwife, a stranger who was missing out on her own Christmas celebrations with her young family.

“Trust me. You won’t have the babies here. They’re safe, I’m sure. I’m just here as a precaution and we’ll get you to your hospital safely, ” reassured the midwife, studying the fear on her pregnant patient’s face.

3 years ago today those words were spoken but will be remembered as the hope this mother desperately clung onto.

3 long, tedious days of medical tests, routinely checking heart rates, blood pressure, any kind of movement. Without any clear answer to the bleeding, only to be advised that the birth of two babies was going to happen sooner than expected.

And without given a definite cause or understanding of what had tragically happened, a somber couple were sent home on New Year’s Eve. Untimely dumped with a heavy reality while a city began its celebrations and fireworks.

3 years ago today, I sank deeper into the frightening journey of being a parent; consumed with constant worry; left helpless to protect my unborn to the dangers and harm of the world.

Firmly clutching the power of relentless hope and continous prayers; having faith that all would be as it should; determined to see the safe arrival of my twin sons.

Every year, Mr Surfer’s company organizes a Christmas family day at the office.

And while I don’t dread these events, it is a chaotic time. Think of forty kids running around an office floor full of computers, desks, boxes and every other company item forbidden for grubby little hands to touch. Not to mention the poor colleagues who weren’t part of the party and just actually wanted to get some work done. Yeah, good luck with that.

To be fair, a huge effort was made to make a corporate setting more kid-friendly.

An office desk was transformed into a cosy cubby house.

Which made up for the face painting that the boys stayed well clear of.

Unfortunately, they were also dubious of Santa.

Instead, they were more interested in getting right down to business. Future CEO, perhaps?

About Me…

Indonesian-born, Grace spent extensive time living and working overseas, primarily in Japan. She now resides in Sydney where she is mum to identical twin boys and wife to an avid surfer. While she has happily replaced office life with motherhood, Grace has discovered that a 10 year career in corporate sales and being fluent in 3 languages is futile when dealing with toddler tantrums and singing “The Wheels On The Bus”